William j



w.1. VAN USDEL.4

SELF WINDING CLOCK.'

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 20. |915.

1 1 94,444. Patented Aug. 15, 1916.

#aff @Mgg UNITED sTATEs PATENT 4oEEioE.

WILLIAM J'. VAN OSDEL, OF CHICAGO. ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO LOUIS SPERLING, OF. CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

SELF-WINDING CLOCK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 15,v 1916.

Application filed September 20, 1915. Serial No. 51,511.

To all Iwhom it may concern Be it known that I, WVi'LLLiM J. Vrin OsnEL, a, citizen of the United States, resid iupr at Chicago; in the county of Cook andV for shifting the gravity" controlled means,

and one of the objects ofthe invention is to simplifythe construction of the same and to provide an improved base or support for the mechanism, which may be formed from a single piece or stamping, and improved means for securing the parts in position to strengthen and reinforce the parts.

A. further object is to provide an iinproved form of actuating mechanism which ma be constructed of stampings.y

further object is to provide improved means whereby the transporting or moving of the device when the parts are incertain predetermined positions, and in which position the armature or actuating` means would not he influenced suiieiently to return the weighted actuating.,r element to an operative position, will prevent closing the circuit through the electro-responsive devices and. holding the armature in a. position to prevent the movement of the weighted actuating means.

To the attainment of these ends and the accomplishment of other new and useful objects as will appear` the invention cousists in. the features of novelty, in substantially the construction, combination and arrangement of the several parts, hereinafter more fully described and claimed and shown in the accompanying drawing, illustrating;v the invention` and in which` Figure l is a front elevation of an iniproved device of this character constructed in accordance with the principles of this invention. Fig. Q is a sectionalv view as taken on line 3-3, Fig'. 1Y Fil. 3 is a bottoni end elevation. l41 ig. iis a detail sectiinal view tali'eii on line 2--3, Fig. 1. Fig. 5 a front eleva tion of the a rmatuic. Fig. (i is la .front elevation of the gravity actuating' clement. Referring more particularly to thi,k dra wlinafter described.

ing', the: numeral 10 designates a supporting base, which may be of any desired size and configuration andconstrueted of any suit able sheet material, which isstainped into shape and is provided with an openiufr 11 formed by stamping a portion 12 there rom and deilecting the portion 12 .lateraliy with respect to the base. This portion 12 may be of any desired size and configuration and serves as a means for supporting one ex! tremity of the electro-responsive devices or coils 13. -Tlie electro-responsive devices are secured to the portion 12 by means of suitable fastening devices 14, and one end 15 of one of the electro-responsive devices 13 pro jects into the opening 11, and abuts the edge 16 of the base 10 adjacent'the opening'll, so that when the electro-responsive devices v are secured to the portion 12, the latter will be reinforced or strengthened owing to the fact that the end of the electro-responsive device engages the Wall of the 'opening l1 and this will impart strength and rigidity to the portion 12, thereby rendering it possible toconstruct the basev from comparatively light material. The base is also provided with another opening (not shown) adjacent; the clock movement 17, for the purposes of lightness. 'l/he clock movement is provided with a shaft 18 connected with which is a ratchet wheel 19 and pivotally mounted upon the shaft 18 is a gravity actuating elenient 20 which moves freely about the shaft andl is held in position'preferably by means 'means of a Potter pin Q3 passing); tl'i'i'ough the shaft. The member Q0 is provided with an extension and pivotally connected therewith is a dogn which engages the teeth of the ratchet if) and a spring QG controls the dog. The element 20 is lalso iirovided with a laterally projectingT pin 27 for a purpose to he hereinafter described, and also a laterally ,projecting pin 28, which is spaced from the pin 527, also for a purpose to he here- ;\n armature 2S) is pivotally supported vby moans of a bracket 30 secured to the base l() in a position to cooperate with the electroresponsive device 13. and the armature is provided with an upwardly extending deficeted portion 3l, which has"secured` to it a contact 32 insulated therefrom as at 33,'

and' the end 3i of the contact extends over the end of the armature 31 and is bent as at 235 to stand adjacent the opposite face of the armature 31 and also adjacent a contact 36 carried by thc armature. r1`he portion 3a of the contact stands and moves between the contact 3G and also the lateral projection 3T which forms a second contact which cooperates with the contact The armature 31 is prtwidedwith a projectingr pin or shoulder 37 which coperates with the pin or projection 2S on the element 20 in a manner to be set forth. A. weighted element 38 also constructed preferably of a stamping is pivotally supported as at 39 and .is provided with a portion 4() which extends into the path of movement of the projection L7 of the element 20, when the latter is returned to an operative position. A retaining dog il also preferably constructed of a piece of stamped material is pivot-ally supported as at 4Q and cooperates with the ratchet 19 to'prevent retrograde movement of the latter. A pin or projection 453 is supported by the clock movement casing and is arranged with respect to the retaining dog 41 so as to prevent the latter from being` accidentallyI disengaged or swung to such a position that it will not coope ate with the ratchet 19.

In operation, the clock movement is given motion by means of the gravity actuating element 20, which tends normally to move in a direction to rotate the ratchet 19. lVhen the element Q0 is moved into such a position as to cau'se the projection or contact 27 thereon to engage the portion 35 of the contact 32,-tlie circuit will be completed through the electro-responsive devices 13 thereby energizing them which will attract the armature 29 and the portion 31. ot the armature will be moved in a direction to cause the portion 35 to operate upon the projection or contact 2T and thereby move the element 20 about its pivot into an operative position. The momentum of' the armature will cause the. weighted element 2O to travel some distance after the armature stops moving. lllhen the. contact QT moves into engagement with the portionl of the cont-act 3Q the circuit will be completed and the armature will be attracted,v causing the contacts 35, 2G to move into engagement and the element QOto he shifted by' the armature, the. momentum imparted thereto will cause the contact; 2i and the portico. 35 of the contact 9);), which latter is of an elastic, nature to move out of engagement with the contact 3G, while itis still in engagement with the contact 27. thereby preventing sparking between the contacts 35 and 36 to overcome corroding of the latter, and the portions fit, 35 of the contact 32 are so constructed as to cause a slidingmovement between the contacts 35, 3C to keep the latter polished. As soon as the. electro-responsive devices are dcenergized` a spring etl- .will return the armature 2i) to normal position andthe weighted element 20 will then move in a direction to rotaie the ratchet wheel 1S). Just before the weighted element :2O reaches the limit of its movement under the influence of the. armature, the projection or contact 2T will engage the portion i0 of the weighted elementlt, to arrest the nuweinent of the' element 21), and the weighted element 3S will then operate upon the element 20 to assist in starting it in its direction of operating movement.

Unless some provision is made to prevent the closing of the circuit through the electro-responsive devices, before the armature Qi) could actuate the element 20, the armature might be moved into a position that itwould contact with the shaft 1S or the portion 35 of the contact 3Qv would engage the contact 27. Such a condition would only occur when the element 20 is in .a position that the contact 27 has assumed a position with respect to the shaft 1S, that the armature if moved over would engage the shaft and Contact 2T, and the contact 2T would not be suiiiciently advanced that the armature wouldA att thereon to throw the cloment :20 back 'ardly about its pivot. This would close the circuit through the hatv teries and would exhaust the batteries if this condition is not discovered." In order therefore to obviate this objection, the projection 2S is provided on the element .20 and the projection 37 is provided on the portion 31 of the armature 39. These projections QS, 37 are of such a size that if the device is transportedV or moved under predetermined conditions, and which are the only conditions that would-close the circuit in the manner just set forth, they will engage each other and prevent the armature from moving into a position to close the-circuit through the electro-responsive devices.

In order to obtain the results desired, it is necessary that lthe armature 29 when attracted by the electro-responsive devices, shall cause the portion b1 to move a certain distance only and inasmuch as the portion 31 is bent or deflected with respect to the portion, Q9, the parts cannot always bey properly positioned with respect to each other during the course of manufacture and it therefore becomes necessary to bend the portion 31 with respect to the portion QS). In order to facilitate this bending there is provided a weakened portion 45 between the portion 29, 31 which renders it easyto bend or deicct the portion 81 with respect to the portion 29. The trunnions 46 are formed on the armature Q5) by turning down a portic ofthe armature.

lVith this improved construction it will he manifest that a very cheap support or base is provided for the structure and that the electro-responsivedevices or coils 13 will reinforce the portion 12 Whichiis vstamped from the base and to which the electro-responsive devices are secured, so that a co1nparatively light base may be used and all of the operating parts being constructed of stampings, the cost of manufactui'e will be materially decreased.

What is claimed as nevl is: 1. A device of the character described, embodying clock mechanism, actuating means therefor', electro-responsive means for controlling the said actuating means, and a supporting base for said parts, said base being constructed of a single piece of sheet material having a portion thereof cut and deflected to form a projection to which the electro-responsive means is secured, a

ortion of the electro-responsive means pro- Jecting into the opening formed hy the cutout portion and abutting the edge of said opening to brace the said deflected portion.

2. A. supporting base for electric self- -vvinding clocks, said base constructed of a single piece of sheet material formed into shape and having a. portion cutout and deflected to form a lateral projection and an opening in the base adjacent the projection, an electro-responsive coil disposed to project into the openingl with one end secured to the projection and the opposite .end abutting the edge of the opening opposite the projection to brace the latter.

A self-iviniling clock embodying an operating shaft, Gravity actuated means for actuating the shaft, electricallyr actuated means for returning the gravity actuated means, said electrically actuated means embodying spaced contacts movable into and out o't' engagement with each other, and means for arresting the movement of the contacts one with relation to the4 other to maintain the contacts spaced.

i, A self-winding clock embodying an operating shaft, gravity actuated means for -actuating the shaft, electrically actuated means for returning the. gravity actuated means, said electrically actuated means em bodying spaced contacts movable into and out oi engagement with each other, and stop mechanism for maintaining the contacts spaced.

5. A self-winding clock embodying an operating shaft, gravity actuated means for actuating the shaft, electrically actuated means for returning the gravity actuatedl means, said electrically actuated means embodying spaced contacts movable into and out ot`-engagement with each other, and cooperating means opeatively related to the contacts for holding the contacts in iuoperD atlve relation.

' 6. A `self-w1nd1ng clock embodying an operating shaft, Gravity actuated means for actuating the s aft, electricaily actuated means for returning the gravity actuated means,'said electrically actuated means em bodying spaced contacts inovaliie 'into and outv ci engagement With each other, and means operatively related t'o the contacts for rendering the said electricallyy actuated means inactive. 'f

7. A self-Winding clock embodying an operating'sliaft, gravity actuated means for said gravity actuated means and adapted to be positioned in they path of movement of said armature to arrest the movement of the arn'iature `and maintain the contacts spaced. g

9. A self-winding ciock embodying an operatinef shaft, gravity actuated means for actuating the shaft and en'ibodying an element loosely mounted upon the shaft, electrically actuated means for returning the gravity actuated means and embodying an armature,r spaced contacts, one ofvsaid contact-s connected to and movable with the armature, said contacts movable into and out of engagement, and a projection carried by the said "elen'ient and adapted to be posi tioned duriilgv a portion oi' the movement ot said element, into the path of the movemeiit of tlie'armature in a direction to cause the contacts to engage, for arresting such movement ofthe armature to maintain. the

contacts in an inoperative relation.

In testimony whereof l' have signed my name to this specification, in the presence oiE two subscribing witnesses, on this 13th dav oi September, A.. D. i915.

' XVILLLXM J. VAN OSDEL.

lVitnesse's: K

Louis Sramana, J. H. JooiiUM, Jr. 

